Wounds occur when the integrity of any tissue is compromised, affecting one or more layers of skin or underlying tissue. Wounds may be caused by an act, surgical procedure, an infectious disease or an underlying condition. Examples of open wounds include punctures, abrasions, cuts, lacerations and burns. Chronic wounds are also common ailments and include pressure ulcers, diabetic ulcers, arterial ulcers, venous ulcers or combination of all the above. Despite much progress made in the wound care industry, an efficient and effective method and apparatus for protecting the wound from injurious contacts is not readily available.
Injurious contacts with foreign objects may be caused from various sources, ranging from brushing of clothing or bed sheets to fresh, uncovered wounds to adherence of wound dressing to the wound. The latter issue, referred to here as the sticking issue, leads to deleterious consequences for the patient. This problem is particularly exacerbated when wounds are left unattended for a substantial period. It is reported that in certain circumstances patients are administered morphine to withstand the pain caused from dressing removal, especially with wounds having a large surface area. Equally important, tearing of skin graft, newly formed cells or scab adhered to dressing disrupts the healing process.
Wounds are generally covered to prevent contamination and resulting infection. Wounds may also be covered for other reasons, including retaining moisture and absorption of exudate. Wound covering has traditionally consisted of application of dressings that are in direct contact with the wound. When directly applied on the wound, dressings adhere and mechanically anchor to wound surface, which may include diffused wound fluid, skin graft, new epidermal cells forming over the wound or the scabby covering of the wound.
The sticking issue has traditionally been addressed by soaking the wound and the dressing adhering to it in water for some time to soften the scab and make removal easier. Another method is the application of antibiotic ointments, such as polymyxin B sulfate or bacitracin, to keep the bandage from sticking to the wound. These methods, however, have not sufficiently addressed the sticking issue. As can be appreciated by health care professionals, soaking in water or application of ointments are not always practicable or recommended.
To better address the sticking issue the medical industry has developed “non-stick” dressings such as Telfa® and Xeroform® and other dressings such as hydrocolloids, alginates, hydrofilms, etc. Non-stick, however, is a relative term. Non-stick dressings merely stick less than their traditional counterparts, e.g., cotton gauze. Another problem with these dressings is that their cost is prohibitive for use on wounds requiring constant change of dressing.
Similar to the traditional and “non-stick” dressings described above, conventional “non-contact” dressings also fail to efficiently and effectively protect the wound from contact, including addressing the sticking issue. Conventional non-contact dressings are also generally bulky, complicated to apply having too many subparts, unable to manage exudate, unable to manage moisture, generally inflexible and expensive.
What is needed is a method and apparatus for dressing wounds or other suitable injuries that is flexible to prevent contact with the surface of the wound, permit management of exudate from the wound and improve the environment immediately adjacent the wound.